Game



Filed March '7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Nov. 5, 10935 PATENT OFFICE GAME Stanley Oakes and Joseph Oakes, Waseca,

Saskatchewan, CanadaV Application March '1, 1933, serial No. 660,562

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a game.

The primary object of the invention resides in the provision of a game of the type which is 5 played on a field by opposing teams and employs a ball passed over the field by players employing special ball handling sticks.

The invention has for another object ,the pro- Vision of a game of the character stated which l may be played the year round, which is exceedingly interesting to the players as well as to the spectators and which requires considerable skill nd may be indulged in by either adults or chilren.

lV The invention has for a further object the provision of a game of the character stated which may be played in the open or within a building and either on solid level ground, a floor or other foundation or on an ice surface, as desired.

4 The invention has for a still further object the provision of a game of the character stated-employing a special playing stick which requires considerable skill for proper handling of the ball by the stick and a special goal positioned at either 2,5, End of the playing eld and firmly held in posiion. Y

The invention has for a still further object the provision of a game of the character stated in which the Vspecial playing sticks and the goals are of substantial and inexpensive construction and may be readily manufactured at a reasonable cost and retailed at popular prices with good profit, thus providing a commercially attractive proposition. Y Y

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become app-arent as thev description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter-more fully described, illus- 4Q trated inthe accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had Y to the drawings forming a part-of this disclosure, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan of the special type ofV playing sticks employed for this game; f

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section, taken substantially o-n the plane of line 2-2 of Figure -1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows Figure 3 is a perspectv@ View Qf the improved goal; A'

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section taken substantially on the plane of line 4--4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section, taken 5 substantially on the plane of line 5--5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Y

Figure 6 isV an enlarged detail section, taken substantially on the plane of line 6-6 of Figl() ure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure '7 is a plan of the playing field or board, showing the arrangement of the goals at the opposite ends thereof and the initial positions 15l of the players on the opposing teams at the starting of the game.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it is to be noted that for each player there is provided a Vdriving stick I I including a handle I2v which 20 has its lower end bifurcated to receive the stem I3 of the driving stick head I4 and which stem I3 is secured in position by rivets I5 extended transversely therethrough and through the bifurcated end of the handle I2, or by other ap- 25 propriate means. 'Ihe main portion of the head I4V is substantially square and has a central opening I6 therethrough which is tapered from the forward face of the head I4 to the rear face thereof. A pair of resilient cushioning bands I'I are 3Q secured transversely across the head I4 at the lower edge thereof and near the upper edge, equal distances from the central opening I6 of the head I4. The handle I2 is straight and is strengthened by wrapping or coiling tape I8 3 5, therearound, preferably in two layers. The handle I2 and also the head I4 of the driving stick are constructed from wood or from other appropriate material. The handle I2 should be about forty-two inches long and the head I4 4,9 should be about six inches square and from one half inch to an inch in thickness. The central opening VIIi in the head I4 should be about two inches in diameter at the forward face ofthe -head I4 and should taper to about one inch in 45 diameter at the rear face of the head I4 so that the ball of the type and size of a football may be readily caught in the central opening I6 of the head I4, and effectively driven or thrown thereby or in some cases carried on the forward face 59 of the head I4 of the driving stick II while the player is running with the same.

As any appropriate conventional ball such as the regulation football may be employed in playing this game, the ball has not been illustrated 55 l' and a detailed description of the same is considered unnecessary.

A pair of goal cages are provided for opposite ends of the playing eld, floor or platform and each goal cage includes a substantially U-shaped front frame bar I9 having cup shaped sockets 20 threaded on the lower ends of said frame bar I9 and provided with elongated tapered or inverted conical anchoring pegs 2| depending centrally therefrom to be driven into the surface for firmly anchoring the goal frame bar I9 in position.

A lower horizontal and substantially U-shaped bar 22 carries substantially cup-shaped sockets 23 on its opposite ends with short central studs 24 projecting therefrom and driven into openings 25 in the depending legs of the frame bar I 9, near the lower ends thereof. A pair of curved or arcuate end frame bars 26 are also employed in the goal frame structure and carry substantially cup-shaped sockets 21 threaded on their upper ends with short central studs 28 projecting therefrom and driven into openings 29 provided therefor in the rear side of the frame bar I9 at the upper corners thereof. These curved or arcuate end frame bars 26 also have substantially cup-shaped sockets 30 threaded on their lower ends with elongated depending anchoring pegs 3| carried centrally thereby and driven downs wardly through openings 32 in the corners of the frame bar 22, the pegs 3| terminating in tapered and pointed free lower ends 33 also adapted to be driven into the surface to rmly anchor the rear corners of the goal frame in position. A

' strengthening and reinforcing frame bar 34 of smaller diameter is extended between the intermediate portions of the curved or arcuate end frame members 26 and firmly attached thereto. A wire mesh covering 35 is provided over the curved rear side of the goal frame and over the ends thereof and firmly held in position by appropriate means such as the hooks 36 carried on the upper horizontal portion of the goal frame bar I9. The straight front side of the goal frame is left open.

For playing this game, a eld or board 31 must be provided and marked off with the longitudinal side lines serving as touch lines 38 and the transverse end lines as goal lines 39. In the centre of the field or board, a centre circle 40 is provided in which the centre forward men 4I of the opposing teams stand and from which position the game is started by the refree bouncing the ball between these centre forward players 4|. The other forward players 4I on the opposing team are arranged opposite one another on opposite sides of the centre line 42 extending transversely in either direction from the centre circle 4U. Ordinarily there are nine players on each team with five of the players serving as forward players 4| Three other players of each team serve as defense players 43 with two of these defense players located along the transverse defense line 44 on that teams half of the playing field or board 31. The third defense player 43 is positioned within the rectangular defense area 45 at the centre of the end of the field or board 31. The remaining or ninth player on each team serves as the goal keeper 46 and his position is within the goal keepers circle 41 in the penalty area 45 and just forwardly ofthe open front side or mouth of the goal cage at the centre of the end of the playing field or board 31. The entire playing field or board 31 for playing the game asan outdoor game or where plenty of spaceis provided, should be eighty yards long by fty-ve yards wide, On a playing eld or board of this size the centre circle 40 should be ve yards in diameter. 'I'he penalty area 45 at either end of the board should be about IU yards square and within this penalty area and at the rear edge of the playing field or board 31, 5

the goal keepers circle should be described by a semi-circular or arcuate line, describing a onehalf of a circle which would have a diameter of ten yards. The goal cage is located on the rear line or edge of the playing eld or board and Withl0 in the last mentioned semi-circle. While the rules and regulations for playing this game, may be varied, the following rules are recommended and the game may be called Soc-O-Ball or may be given any other appropriate name desired: l5

There are nine players on each team, ve forwards, three defense and a goal keeper. This game is played with regulation size football, each player using a driving stick as previously described in detail and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, of the 20 drawings of this application. The object is to keep the ball rolling on the ground as much as possible, either by rolling it along with the driving stick I I or driving it with the stick I I from player to player. To kick the ball with the foot is a foul, 25 also to handle it in any way other than with the driving stick II is a foul. To Start the game, the ball is bounced by the referee between the two centre forwards 4l. For all fouls outside of the penalty area 45, the ball is bounced between two 30 players at a point of the playing field or board 31 where the foul occurred. If any defense player commits a foul in the penalty area 45, a free drive is awarded the opposing team from the penalty line which is ten yards from the goal, all players 35 to stand back from the penalty area 45 while this is being taken, with the exception of the goal keeper 46. Any ball being driven over the goal line, that is from each side of the goal to each corner of field is to be placed on the five yard 0 circle and driven off either by the goal keeper 46 or one of the defense men 43. No goal can be scored from inside the five yard circle. This is to give the goal keeper 46 a fair chance of defending his goal and to prevent crowding of goal 45 mouth. Anyv goal scored from inside this circle Vis to be disallowed.Y When the ball goes over the touch line 38, from a players driving stick II or from any other cause, a player from the opposing team takes up the ball and throws it into play 50 again from the touch line but must await referees whistle. Also, he must stand with both feet together on the touch line 38 and throw the ball with vhis hand, instead of using his driving stick II, but

the ball may be thrown in any Ydirection desired, providing the player is on the touch line 38.

The driving sticks I I are not to be raised by the players higher than the shoulders when driving the ball but, a driving stick I I may be raised above the players head to stop a ball. However, the driving stick I I must not be employed for striking the ball when the latter is more than shoulder high as it will be counted a foul and a player who breaks this rule may be sent off the field for a period of five minutes by the referee if he so desires, or warned, and a free drive given the opposing team for this offense. The goal keepers are free at all times to use their feet, hands and driving sticks II and to strike at a ball Yabove their heads, but they must stay within the five yard 'I0 circle41 to play the ball. If a goal keeper 46 moves out of his circle 41 to play the ball, it is considered a foul and the ball is bounce-d between the goal. The offside rule is, there must be'one 75 defense player between the advancing forwards and the goal; that is to say, that a forward cannot wait for a pass when he is between the defense and goal.

Each goal counts four points, a draw two points, irrespective of the number of goals scored, if any. When there is a draw, the time tobe played is one half hour each way with a live minute interval at half way. Y

Players can carry the ball on their sticks l I, if it can be accomplished, for whichfeat requires quite a lot of practising and considerable skill. The ball can be passed from player to player by means of the driving sticks Il as they are slightly dished at the heads and it is therefore quite possible, after some practise, for the players to be able to catch and hold the ball on the driving sticks Il while running.

The game can be played on the ice with only six players instead of nine as a rink is usually very much smaller than the regulation Soc-O- Ball field. No subs are to play. When playing the game on the ice, it may be played with or Without skates, as predetermined by the players.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a game is provided that will fulll all the necessary requirements of such a device but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restrictive sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:-

1. A game including a ball driving stick with a head having a dished opening therein; shock absorbing members across the head above and below the dished portion thereof; and a handle for said head.

2. A game including a ball driving stick with a substantially square and flat head having a tapered opening through the centre thereof; elastic band members extended across said head above and below the opening thereof; a reinforced elongated handle for said head; and means for firmly attaching said handle to said head.

Y 3. For a game, a ball driving and carrying t stick comprising a flat head having a tapered opening in the center thereof adapted to receive a ball; a narrowed portion formed on the upper end of said head; cushioning members encircling said head transversely above and below the said tapered opening; and a reinforced elongated' handle having its lower end'slotted to receive the narrowed portion of said head inserted therein.

4. For a game, a ball driving and carrying stick comprising a iiat head having a central circular opening tapered inwardly from the forward to the rear face thereof; cushioning members encircling said head above and below said circular opening; and a reinforced elongated handle having its lower end attached to said head and its upper end terminating in the form of a ball.

[1.. s.] [1.. s.l

Yai 

